


on his shoulder every night

by babypapaya



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22399084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babypapaya/pseuds/babypapaya
Summary: Daniel looks up, puts the Neutrogena back on the shelf. “Max.” If he says any more, he’ll have a breakdown right in front of the CeraVe display.“I know what you wanted,” Max says quietly.Daniel nods, his throat dry.“We both waited too long. I’m sorry.”Daniel licks his lips. “I am too.” Max turns away. “How’s—Charles?”Max tilts his head, waits a beat. “We’re good.”
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 14
Kudos: 86





	on his shoulder every night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [singlemalter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/singlemalter/gifts).



> quick idea, first angst fic I've written. for malter, because when you know, you know.

Carlos keeps having these parties at his place. They’re supposed to be nice, the glassware is real, they start low-key and everyone shows up but it’s always a slow climb to just shy of messy. This one’s not there _yet._

“Max already here?” Daniel leans across the kitchen island, taking the proffered glass from Alex, the temporary bartender.

“I saw him earlier,” Alex offers. 

“Ayy, where is he?” Daniel swirls his drink, sets it down on Carlos’ stupidly nice granite countertop. He pulls his phone from his pocket. Max said he’d be here. Daniel only came for one reason. 

Pierre rounds the corner and pokes his head into the kitchen. “Max? With Charles. They just left together.”

“Charles?” There’s a catch in Daniel’s voice, though it’s a little hushed. Alex can’t really tell, Carly Rae Jepsen has taken up a loud residency in the living room speakers. Lando must have his phone plugged in. 

“Yeah, they’re kind of cute together.” Pierre grabs a cup. “Alex, can you get me some ice?” 

The look Nico shoots at Daniel is sharp, but no one else catches it. Daniel swallows. “Okay, thanks,” he nods, and abandons his drink.

Shit. His head shouldn’t be pounding this hard. 

He shoulders his way through the front door and jogs down the steps, but the car’s already pulling out of the driveway. Daniel curses the streetlight that illuminates them, Charles’ arm draped around Max’s shoulders. But it’s not that bad. 

Worse is how fucking obvious Max’s bright eyes and cautious smile are. The way he’s turned so eagerly toward the man driving him home. 

They’re kind of cute together. Fuck Pierre. _Fuck Charles._

The car coasts to a silent stop at the end of the street and turns out of sight. 

“Well,” Daniel speaks into the silence, bar Carly Rae Jepsen from within. “That’s not the greatest feeling ever.”

Hulk’s hand comes down on his shoulder. Daniel didn’t know he’d been followed, and he turns back to his friend. “Pull yourself together, man,” Nico suggests lightly. “You should try your luck with Lando.”

Daniel pushes the hand off and tries his best at a withering look, but his heart is too tight in his chest to let any words form.

Nico shrugs. “If it helps, everyone knows those two are already fucking.”

“Fuck off, Nico,” Daniel manages, painedly. He rubs his forehead. “The less I know about that the better.” 

“I’ll stay out of it, then. Here’s your drink.” Nico waves a sweating glass at Daniel and the ice clicks feebly. Daniel curls his fingers around it but the condensation was there first, and both men watch as the glass slips and shatters on the pavement. 

Daniel reaches down for a shard and drops it instantly, but it’s too late. His fingers sting.

“Just go home, man. I’m not gonna force you to have fun.” 

Daniel looks at the blood welling up across his fingertips, drags his thumb across them and watches it smear. “ _Fuck_ Charles.”

Nico kicks at the glass shards. “I’ll tell Carlos you’ve gone.”

* * *

Daniel never considered heartache likelihood when he chose to rent in this neighbourhood. He sees Max and Charles every week—at the bar, when he walks Nico’s dog, at the post office, at the fucking grocery store. Max’s glance is hypnotic to Daniel, paralysing—he seeks it out, regrets every time their eyes lock and it knocks the wind from his chest. 

On those days, he pulls out his phone before he goes to bed, letting his fingertips hover over the number he really should have deleted by now. 

Last message: two months ago.

Dan

_youll be at carlos’?_

M💙

_see you there_

At the very least, he should delete the emoji.

Maybe if he leaves it there long enough, it’ll apply properly someday. He should have said something sooner. It had been precarious. It had been enough just to have the number in his phone, to trade tentative friendly messages every week and think about maybe, one day, asking Max. To think about orange roses and surprise kisses and the way Max laughs with his whole face, to imagine Max laughing like that for him. It had been enough.

Nico always called Daniel a useless romantic, and now Daniel thinks Nico might be right. 

_miss u,_ he texts Max, just to see the _last message_ date change. It feels worse after.

* * *

He sees Max at the drugstore two days later, and he knows he read his message. Even though there'd been no reply. He thinks about avoiding the man, though his stomach burns, but Max stops at the end of the sunscreen aisle, and his look is a little too long. 

“Hey, Daniel.”

Daniel looks up, puts the Neutrogena back on the shelf. “Max.” If he says any more, he’ll have a breakdown right in front of the CeraVe display.

“I know what you wanted,” Max says quietly. 

Daniel nods, his throat dry. 

“We both waited too long. I’m sorry.”

Daniel licks his lips. “I am too.” Max turns away. “How’s—Charles?”

Max tilts his head, waits a beat. “We’re good.”

* * *

The screen’s blue light claws at his eyes in the dark, but he has to send one message. 

Dan

_idk couldn’t you ever see yourself w me?_

He throws the phone away, sinks into his pillows. The cell rings a minute later. 

Max doesn’t say hello. “You’re waiting for Charles to change his mind about me, aren’t you.”

Daniel winces. It’s a long moment before he speaks. “It was okay—not being with you—until I saw you with him.”

There’s a deep breath on the other end of the line. “And you’re always looking.”

“We both know he’s full of bullshit.”

Max’s tone is dangerously mild. “You think I’m stupid? You think that’s who I am?”

“Just waiting for him to fuck up, baby.” It should be a light line, but they both hear the bitterness.

“I’m not your baby, Dan.”

“He’s not your Superman, Max.”

_Beep._

**Author's Note:**

> don't sue me, kevin parker! i love you
> 
> keep it lowkey, keep it classy, keep it off twitter and out of real life and away from the drivers.
> 
> thanks for reading! any kudos and comments are appreciated <3


End file.
